FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- A few thoughts on the New York Jets' 27-25 loss to the New England Patriots:
What it means: The Jets are finished for 2014. They dropped their sixth straight, falling to 1-6 and 0-1 in the AFC East. This was their last stand, and probably Rex Ryan's last stand. It was a tremendous effort, but they weren't able to overcome Tom Brady and a few lapses on defense. The Jets played their game, controlling the ball for a stunning 40 minutes, but they're so limited offensively that there was no margin for error. It ended with a blocked field goal from 58 yards as time expired.
Stock report: Geno Smith delivered a gutty, workmanlike performance, managing to go without an interception for only the fifth time in 23 career starts. The Jets can live with "workmanlike" from Smith, who has gone three straight games without sabotaging the Jets with turnovers. He was aggressive with his scrambling, rushing for 37 yards. Smith managed the game nicely, but he just couldn't deliver any huge plays in the passing game. He finished 20-for-34 for 226 yards and a late touchdown pass. In the end, he came up one pass short, misfiring on a two-point conversion that would've tied the game.
An 'F' performance by Double-A: Antonio Allen, whose head must be spinning with all his recent position changes, surrendered two touchdown passes and was flagged for a 32-yard pass-interference penalty. He made a huge mental mistake less than two minutes into the game. Allen, who started for safety Calvin Pryor, blew a coverage and it resulted in a 49-yard touchdown reception by running back Shane Vereen. The Jets were in a three-deep coverage. Allen was responsible for an outside third, but he got caught looking at Brady and got burned. It happened again in the fourth quarter, this time a 19-yard touchdown reception by Danny Amendola, who made a great catch.
Killed by Murderer's Row: This marked the end of a six-game stretch in which the Jets faced six top quarterbacks. How'd they do? Not well. They allowed 16 touchdown passes, with only one interception. Brady threw three scoring passes, including two to Vereen. The second touchdown, a 3-yarder, came against a soft zone. For the most part, the Jets did a decent job on defense, as they did last week against Peyton Manning. But when you're facing a future Hall of Fame quarterback, a few mistakes are too many.
Where's Quinton? Slumping pass-rusher Quinton Coples was replaced in the starting lineup by graybeard Jason Babin. Coples also wasn't used in many sub packages, as Ryan rotated Antwan Barnes (activated from PUP) into the pass-rushing rotation. Coples, a former first-round pick, played only a handful of snaps, a stunning fall from grace. Meanwhile, defensive end Chandler Jones, whom the Jets passed on to draft Coples, had a big night for the Patriots.
Game ball: Chris Ivory, coming off a 7-yard rushing performance last week, carried the Jets' offense, rushing for a game-high 107 yards on 21 carries. He also scored the Jets' only touchdown, a 1-yard leap that gave them a 19-17 lead. The Patriots, minus injured middle linebacker Jerod Mayo, couldn't handle Ivory's punishing running style.
What's next: After their mini-bye, the Jets play the Buffalo Bills (3-3) at MetLife Stadium on Oct. 26.
